A Frozen Solid Proposition from the Canadian Tire Corporation

Cool truck, eh? A modern marvel indeed, this is the Canadian Tire Corporation’s Ice Truck, powered by a MotoMaster Eliminator Ultra AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) battery. This isn’t just a fantastic, fullsize HD truck ice sculpture, which alone would be impressive. This Ice Truck consists of the mechanical driving parts including as the chassis, engine, and tires from what was once a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado HD truck in Texas, supporting 11,000 pounds of ice which make up the body, windows, seats, and dashboard. The more you look at this creation, the more mind-boggling it becomes.

The premise behind this attention-getting frosty truck was to dramatically demonstrate how the MotoMaster Eliminator Ultra AGM battery could survive the ultimate test by being reduced to below -40 degrees Celsius (which interestingly converts to -40 degrees Fahrenheit) and then placed in a truck made of ice and starting it. Cold battery, cold truck. Literally. After all, the last thing you need is a truck that won’t start!

As you might imagine, the build process was quite extensive and riddled with challenges for all involved. After all, it’s not every day something like this had been attempted. The HD Silverado, stripped of its cab and body, had to be further modified in terms of the engine compartment, frame and electronics; Bronson Automotive headed this portion of the project. Pick Me Productions then constructed a steel frame to support the massive weight of the ice. Iceculture, located in Hensall, Ontario, Canada, undertook the detailed ice creating and carving challenge that resulted in the Ice Truck. As for the challenges, consider that a metal frame conducts heat, and a running engine creates heat as well. Heat, the ultimate adversary of this project, had to be combated. Another rival was any twisting or movement of the frame structure, which could crack the ice.

The Ice Truck, promoting MotoMaster Eliminator Ultra batteries, was shot (in Toronto) for a commercial airing during the Hockey Classic on New Year’s Day, with various versions airing through the end of January. It will also likely earn a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as it paraded down a stretch of Highway 84 between Hensall (Ontario) and Zurich on December 12, 2013. Did you catch that? The Ice Truck was shipped to Toronto and then back to Hensall, with less than 24 hours to put the truck back together for its record-setting drive. Just as all good things must come to an end, the Ice Truck was melted down at the Detailer’s shop, a process that took 40 hours.